<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

John Dennis wrote:

> I'm 44 and have been been diagnosed since about 1978 as having
> Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

My first question is:  Have you recently been diagnosed as a celiac,
or have you made your own "self-diagnosis" based on symptoms?  If it
is  the latter, I strongly recommend seeing a gastroenterologist,
preferably one that already has some celiac patients, and getting an
official diagnosis.  Otherwise, you may be trying to treat the wrong
disease/condition by going on a GF diet.

> So as not to "create a scene," I peeled away the breading and ate
> the fish, knowing full-well that some "contamination" had likely
> occurred.

Rule #1:  If you are a confirmed celiac, NEVER eat anything that you
suspect may have gluten.  It is far better to get used to "making a
scene", then to continually damage your small intestine.  However,
I've found that with patience and a firm but positive approach to
the constraints of this diet, there won't be too many "scenes".

> Does the gut of a celiac become much more sensitized to gluten
> intake within days of starting a GF diet?

This varies a lot from one person to another.  Some people (the
unlucky ones, in my opinion) can accidentally eat a little gluten
and not experience any ill effects afterwards.  Some people gradually
become more and more sensitive to small amounts of gluten as the
intestine heals and their health returns.  And some people react as
you have.

> Does embarking on a true GF diet involve a sort of "you can't go
> home again" increased sensitivity to gluten??

If you are a confirmed celiac, my understanding is that you will
remain sensitive to gluten for the rest of your life.  It isn't the
diet that makes you sensitive to gluten, it's your own immune system.
I believe that some newly-diagnosed celiacs, because of their general
poor health, may have a depressed immune system that is unable to
respond as well as it does later when the GF diet brings back good
health.  That may explain why they appear to be more sensitive to
gluten after being on the diet for awhile.

At any rate, "once a celiac, always a celiac" should be the governing
phrase.

> Given that  a small bowel biopsy can be done in as little as 15
> minutes and that going GF means giving up my favorite foods,
> perhaps I should suggest to my GI...that one be done despite the
> negative blood test?  Also, can someone advise me as to how long
> evidence of damaged villi persists in the gut after a GF diet is
> adopted?

My understanding is that it takes several months or even a year for
the villi to completely heal.  Healing begins quickly after starting
a GF diet, which is why you can often see almost immediate
improvement.  However, it is a long and slow process before the
healing is complete.

If you have just started a GF diet, and are going to have a biopsy,
I'd suggest you have the biopsy done ASAP.  The longer you wait, the
more healing will occur, and the harder it will be to establish
whether or not you really do have celiac disease.

Let me close by making it clear to all that I am not a doctor; my
comments here are based on what I've learned as the parent of two
celiac children, and from being involved with this list and with my
local support group.

--- Jim Lyles ([log in to unmask]) ---
--- location:  southeast Michigan, USA ---